John's Vashon Preparedness Blog

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Emergency Preparedness &amp; Response - 24 Hours Packed with Skills OR A 44-hour Course to Prepare You to Serve on the Response Team

Mar10

Written by:3/10/2018 2:29 PM

Vashon Island CERT:

Sponsored by Vashon Island Fire & Rescue….CERT is both a basic course and an active local team of citizens prepared to support the Fire Dept. or Sheriff

A partner with VashonBePrepared, the local network of citizen groups and government agencies dedicated to leading our island in preparedness and response

Participation in CERT is highly rewarding. If community support when problems arise is important to you, CERT will likely be an extraordinarily positive experience.

CERT originated in Los Angeles in 1994 to support the city fire department, and has been enhanced and extended to hundreds of communities by FEMA to train citizens to safely volunteer in various emergencies.

Rewards of being on the active team:

Increased safety at your home & business

Increased personal preparedness for windstorms, earthquakes and power outages

New life-saving and first aid skills

Increased self-confidence

New friends

Participation in the Vashon community Stylish green hard-hat and hi-vis vest (for team)

Typical activations include

Search for missing persons (Vashon has no other local search/rescue group)

Logistical support to the Fire Dept. or Sheriff

Information gathering during a disaster; First aid and information stations

CERT does not…

fight fires, go into unstable buildings, or neglect our own neighborhoods. CERT members are specially trained to be a skilled resource in their neighborhoods, and respond to the greater community only after their own home and neighborhood are stable.

2018 Course Dates

CERT Manager Jan Milligan will send confirmation and, for parts 2 and 3, plenty of details about the curriculum, make-ups for sessions you might miss, policies and more. All parts start at the Farcy Building at the main fire station. Jan be reached by phone, 206-949-1184. Some info also at www.vashonbeprepared.org/partners/CERT

PART 2, April 6, 13, 20, 27, May 4 and 11. 6-10 p.m: 24 Hours of safety & emergency training in fire prevention, light fire fighting, utility safety, first aid including how to treat life-threatening conditions, and light search & rescue. Pre-requisite: Preparedness seminar (above). You will need to provide a few inexpensive personal supplies: dust-mask, work clothes (grubbies), work gloves such as gardening gloves, and your own water/snacks.

PART 3, May 18, 25 and June 8, 6-10 p.m. plus Sunday June 3, 8:00 – 4:00. 20 MORE hours of CERT team operation and practice – for those who want to join the active Vashon team. Continue after Part 2 for training in jobs CERT could be assigned to in a disaster on Vashon, working as a CERT team and with other organized citizen groups, and conducting a simulated disaster response. Pre-requisites are Parts 1 and 2.

The Friday evening sessions for Parts 2 and 3 start promptly at 6 p.m. Please arrive a few minutes early to sign in and find a seat. Dress in long pants and comfortable clothing suitable for being outside (some weeks) and getting a little dirty (some weeks). Always bring your own water and snacks. Sunday June 3 is a disaster response simulation for those who have completed part 3 training up to that point. Wrap-up and graduation is on June 8. Additional training opportunities for graduates and team members only are on our VashonBePrepared website.